Blessings...

I thought I would take this time to update you guys about all of the wonderful things that have been occurring in my life recently. I have been filled with such joy and excitement lately and cannot believe how the Lord has been blessing me and David's lives! My new job teaching starts in a couple of weeks! I am beyond thrilled. Because my job is in Jacksonville (an hour commute from where we live now) and David is still in school here in St. Augustine, we decided that we would move somewhere between here and there. Last weekend, we decided we would go look around. Things weren't looking so good as far as apartments went. There just wasn't much offered at the "halfway" mark. We finally decided to check out some apartments that are conveniently positioned right beside the outlet mall (a girl's dream right?) and two seconds from the interstate that takes me straight to work. We assumed that they would be too expensive for us, so I stayed in the car and made David go in and check. Turns out they were in our price range, they had 2 apartments available, AND the amenities were awesome. Huge pool, really nice workout room complete with free tanning (would be nice if I tanned), a pool table, a movie theater room, etc. etc. We were overjoyed to say the least! Then we found out we could move in two weeks later--which is perfect timing. Gives me a week to unpack before I start work! Another huge blessing is that if we would have gone a couple of days later, the price would have increased past what we could afford. So, next Saturday we are moving in!! God is so good. Because we are moving, we decided to have a garage sale. This was an adventure for sure. It takes a lot more work than I thought to put together a garage sale, and we managed to do it in one LONG day! We ended up getting rid of almost everything we wanted to see go (which means no packing it up for me!) and made some extra cash. Always a plus! There were a lot of older people who came by, and I so enjoyed my conversations with them. It was a success! With the money we made, David and I decided to buy some new running shoes. Why you ask? Well, he somehow talked me into running a half marathon. Only because you run it THROUGH DISNEY WORLD! I must say, I am by no means a "good runner." When I think about me actually running 13.1 miles, it kind of makes me laugh, but I think it will be good for me to do. Not only will I be training with my hubby, but it will be a great experience for us to have together. I am looking forward to learning some discipline as well. I know that I can do it and if I succeed, it will be a MAJOR accomplishment for me! So, those are the current happenings of the Raney's. We are so blessed beyond belief--I am so grateful to serve a God who always provides--and goes above and beyond our expectations! Be blessed! Jenn

An End. And a Beginning.

It has been forever since I last posted. Mainly because I have just gotten out of the swing of this blogging thing. I am going to try to be more diligent at writing. In the past few months, a lot has changed in my life. Many of you know that before I married the love of my life, I was a Kindergarten teacher. I loved teaching. It gave me such satisfaction to be able to work with children and to teach them what would be the foundational concepts of their whole entire educational career. I also loved the relationships I formed with the children I worked with. I know without a doubt that the Lord called me into teaching...it is one of the few things I am sure of in life :) Since I know what the Lord has called me to do, I was sure He would provide a teaching job for me when I got married and moved to Saint Augustine. I put my faith in the Lord, and counted on Him to provide the perfect teaching job for me. And almost a year later...He has once again proved Himself to be faithful. I went through many months wondering why the Lord didn't give me the job I knew I was created for right when I wanted/needed it...and honestly this whole year I have had this emptiness in my heart because I felt like I wasn't doing what the Lord intended for me to do. Little did I know that I was so wrong. The Lord placed me right where I was supposed to be...and it has taken me almost a year to understand why He did what He did. I was thankful that the Lord provided me with a job at a daycare this year. I mean, a job is a job. When I first started, I felt defeated from the get-go. I dealt with a lot of things that I had never faced before. I wanted to quit everyday, and pleaded that the Lord would just give me a job teaching in a school. After reflecting over the last several months, I have come to realize that I was in the place God wanted me to be for so many reasons. I have learned so much about humbleness. And putting others above my self. I have learned that keeping a positive attitude, even when I felt like screaming or crying or pulling out my hair, makes a huge difference. I have learned how to deal with situations that made me uncomfortable. I have learned to cling to the Lord and count on Him every single second of the day. I have learned so much about myself in the last several months--about what I am capable of and about keeping my focus on my purpose in life--and that is showing Christ to others. Teaching is a great calling, but first and foremost my job is to show others the love of Christ. I was so blessed to work with some amazing women who are doing great things with their lives and have the potential to do even GREATER things. I was blessed to work with some great kids who will always hold a place in my heart. Tomorrow is my last day working at the daycare, and it is truly bittersweet for me. I am sad to leave behind people I have grown to love, but so excited that God was so faithful in providing me a job doing what I LOVE to do (I get to teach KINDERGARTEN AGAIN!!!). Nothing is more beautiful than going through the storm, and seeing the sunshine on the other side. I am thankful for the struggles. "Hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who has promised is faithful"- Hebrews 10:23 Be blessed, my friends. Jenn

Time to Set Some GOALS...

I have to start out by saying that I have never been too great at sticking with things. Sad, I know. There are goals I have reached like getting through college, living on my own, teaching little kids--and I am very proud of myself for reaching those goals. But there are so many more goals I have for myself that I haven't even come close to reaching, or in some cases, haven't even attempted to reach them. For a while now, I have been feeling pretty unhappy with myself. I feel like I have lost who I am in a sense. There are several things that need to change in my life that will be for my own good (and for the good of my sweet hubby who somehow puts up with me). There are a lot of things that are hindering me from "living my best life" so to say, and I am pretty tired of living that way. I know at this point in my life, I am not living up to the life that I know Christ has planned for me. My very wise and Godly sister-in-law, Christy, did something she called "A New Me in 60," where she set goals and really sought after what God wanted for her. This has inspired me to set some goals of my own--on the road to a new, refreshed, joyous ME! So, because I am not so good at sticking to things, I need my sweet friends to keep me accountable, and that is why I am sharing my goals with you. I need your encouragement and prayers! Here is my list (which I am sure will grow...)... **Spend at least 30 minutes a day with Jesus in prayer, meditation, and Bible study** Sadly, this is challenging for me. I pray everyday. I read my Bible everyday. BUT half the time my mind is in a million different places. I need to learn the art of meditating and focusing what the Lord is trying to show me. Learning how to "Be still..." will be hard for me. **Worry Less...** This will be the hardest goal of all. I have always struggled with worry. I have decided that I am going to create a "Worry Box" where I write down what I am worrying about, pray about it, stick it in the box, and don't look at it until long after I wrote it. Sort of a visual to what the Lord wants us to do with our worries and our burdens. I think it will be cool to look back through my box in, say, a year, and see how God has been faithful. **Work out 3 times a week** I am the absolute worst at working out. David and me have talked about how important it is that we work out to keep our bodies healthy. It is important for us to begin taking care of ourselves now so that years down the road, our bodies will be healthier. Also, working out is good for our mental health...aka stress...which I need less of! **Be a more LOVING wife** Sometimes I feel like I am slacking big time when it comes to being a Godly wife. I love my husband more than anything on this planet, but I am not always so good at showing him that in my actions and words. I often let the stresses of my life rule me and my emotions, and that ends up negatively affecting my husband. I am a LONG way from the woman described in Proverbs 31. That's all for now. Thank you ahead of time for your prayers and encouragement. I will keep you posted on how this journey goes! Be blessed! Jenn

Mother's Day...

I know it has been an eternity since I last posted. I honestly haven't been too inspired to write lately--until today! Thank goodness...I needed some inspiration! Today is Mother's Day. I will start out by saying that I have been TRULY BLESSED to have such an amazing person to be my mom! My mom is such an awesome example of what a great, Godly mother looks like. I have always had a pretty unique relationship with my mother. She is my mom, yes, but she is also one of my best friends. I have the best of both worlds. The thing I have always admired about my mom is that she has always been my "mother" first and foremost. Sometimes growing up, this may not have made me the happiest--especially at times when I didn't get what I wanted. But now I admire her so much for sticking to what she believed was best for my well being, even when I couldn't see it! As the years have passed, my mom has still been my "mother" but has also become so much more than that! She is the person who has listened to me cry when my heart was breaking, and she is the person who was there for the most exciting, joyous times of my life. She has taught me SO much about life. I owe so much to her. I couldn't have asked God for a more amazing woman to be my mom! Today, at church, a girl sang a song dedicated to her mother. I was surged by emotion and thought I was going to sob my eyes out. I couldn't keep my tears in. They were tears of gratitude for what my mom has done for me...they were tears of sadness because I couldn't be with her on Mother's day...but they were also tears of excitement. Tears of excitement...may seem weird. But as I sat there listening to the song, I thought about how amazing it will be to be a mother! Anyone who knows me well will probably know that I could honestly care less about a career or bringing in lots of money. I want to be a wife and a mom. I have always dreamed about it. Half of my dream has come true. I am blessed to be the wife of my favorite person on the planet. I look so forward to the day when I can become a mom! Before that day comes, I still have a lot of growing I need to do. I have a lot of learning I need to do. What a huge responsibility mother's have-but what a blessing! I am so blessed to know so many Godly women who are amazing Godly mothers and wives who I can learn from and seek advice from. To all you mothers out there-- Happy Mother's Day! May God bless you as you raise your family! Be blessed! Jenn

Love Challenge...

So...I know I mentioned in an earlier post that my New Year's "goal" was to become more like Christ. More like Him in action, thought, and heart. This is not always an easy task...which is why I daily ask for guidance in this journey. All this being said, the Lord has been revealing one thing me over and over lately. It's hit me like a ton of bricks. Love. Such a small word--but it's a huge action (and an action that does not always come so naturally)! God has really been "tweaking" my heart lately about what it means to love. I could say that I am a loving person--but a lot of the times I love when it's easy. It is easy to love my husband. It is easy to love my family. But what about that person who thrives on negativity? What about that person who is dirty and poor? What about that person who hurts me over and over? It's not so easy to love in those circumstances. What I have come to realize is that I am all of those people I mentioned above. I am hard to love. How many times have I been negative and didn't fully trust in the Lord's provision? How many times have I been filthy with sin? How many times have I made my Savior cry because I have strayed away? The simple fact is this: God loves me. Period. He loves me always...unconditionally...wholly...faithfully... If it is my goal to be like Christ...I must love always...unconditionally...wholly...faithfully...Even when it seems impossible! After all, it is my job to share Christ with others and further His kingdom. If God is love, and I show others love, then in the end they get a glimpse of God. My prayer and challenge is that I will learn how to love like Christ. I have a long way to go...but the Lord is changing my heart and it's exciting! Be blessed... Jenn

Don't Lose Hope...

"Don't lose hope..." "Put your hope in the Lord..." These are words I have been uttering to myself a lot lately. These are words I have shared with others lately. How easy it seems for us to lose hope. Tradgedies, sickness, death, hate...sadness, loss, pain, hurt...all things that can steal our hope away from us. I would be untruthful if I said there were never a time in my own life where I lost all hope or felt like giving up. Sadly, there have been many. I can honestly say, that even in these dark times where I feel like all hope is lost, the Lord restores hope in my life. He proves to be faithful over and over again. I am blessed to be a child of God. I have often wondered how people survive without Christ. How do they get through life's tough times? Because I believe in a God much bigger than myself, I am learning to truly cling to hope. I am holding on with all that I am. Sometimes my hope in the Lord is all that can get me through. Without it, I don't know where I would be. I choose to put my hope in the Lord because He knows my every thought and has ordained all of my days before they came to be (Psalm 139). I choose to put my hope in the Lord because He is FAITHFUL. I choose to put my hope in Him because He "works for the GOOD of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). I choose to put my hope in the Lord, because in the end HE wins. Be hopeful in the Lord, even when it seems impossible, because He loves you! "Let us hold UNSWERVINGLY to the HOPE we profess, for He who has promised IS FAITHFUL!" ---Hebrews 10:23 Be blessed! Jenn

Forgetting...

I have never really been one to forget things. I rarely ever forgot my homework when I was in school. I hardly ever forget where I put my keys. I don't forget what people say to me very often. I guess you could say that I make mental notes in my head a lot. The last couple days I have had to almost laugh at myself because I have just been so forgetful and distracted. I was attempting to go to the store the other day, and literally had to get out of my car and go back into the house 3 different times because I forgot stuff that I needed. My husband was here, and thought it was pretty funny. The best thing I have done occurred this morning. I was in the shower shaving my legs, and I guess I got distracted. By what, I have no idea. I was putting moisturizer on later on in the morning, and realized that only one of my legs was shaved. Only one. I thought it was hilarious. Pretty cute only having one leg shaved and the other one all prickly. I think a lot of times in life we get distracted by "unimportant" things, and it causes us to forget. We forget the important things in life that really matter. We forget to take time to call up our friends and family to let them know we love them. We forget to spend time with the Lord. We forget to pray. We forget because we are distracted by the other things in life that are being thrown at us. Satan thrives on distracting us. He throws obstacles at us, tells us lies, and fills our thoughts with worries. When he distracts us--we fall into his trap and fall away from the Lord. Watch out for the distractions that are thrown your way. Focus on not forgetting the important things in life :) Be blessed! Jennifer

How is it 2010 already?

I am such a slacker when it comes to blogging! Well, here we are with a new year ahead of us. I cannot believe it is already 2010...so weird! I am at the point that I am at every year where I have a hard time writing the correct date...I am still stuck in 2009. I am happy that 2009 is over with. It was an amazing year, but a crazy one at the same time. It is always nice to have a new beginning. I need some refreshment in my life. It gives us all a chance to reprioritize and reorganize. A little update on our holiday season: It was amazing! We spent Christmas in Brewton and New Years in Pensacola, therefore getting to see EVERYONE we loved! I have missed my family so much. I have missed Pensacola so much. There is so much to be said about familiarity. Something in me just automatically became joyful when I was where I consider to be "home." I feel like I have been so far from "familiar" that it was refreshing to be around what/who I know and love. One of the highlights of our Christmas was getting a Wii from my parents and some pretty awesome Wii games from David's family. I have wanted one for a long time, but never expected to get one! I am pretty much in love with our Wii! David and I have so much fun playing it together, and competing against one another (by the way, I win MOST of the time!). Now that I have caught up on life...a little about what God is teaching me! I know it may have been evident in several of my past blogs that I was seriously struggling with this season of my life. I was questioning everything and losing faith. I was so anxious that it was making me sick, and I seriously thought something was wrong with me. For a while, I wondered where God was...why wasn't He listening to me? I finally just gave in...and God took over. He has filled me with so much PEACE and JOY! I am feeling like Jenn again...and not like this person who is losing her mind! Satan was getting to me, but I am sooo thankful that I serve a God who reigns supreme! Last weekend, when we were in Pensacola, we were able to go to our church, Liberty Church, which is ALWAYS a blessing. I have never left that building not being moved or encouraged! My brother-in-law, Amick, is the worship leader there. During worship, he said something that hit me hard. He talked about how we all make resolutions to lose weight, or get our finances in order, or whatever...but then he said WHY DON'T WE MAKE IT OUR GOAL FOR THIS YEAR TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST? That is my ultimate prayer for this year. To be more like Christ. To listen more intently to what He is saying. To take the time to study His word. To spend time talking to Him everyday. To trust and seek Him in everything. To lose my life so that I may live. What are your goals for the New Year? Praying peace and good health on all of you this this New Year! Be blessed! Jenn